Legal Definitions - chattel vegetable

The term chattel vegetable refers to crops that are cultivated annually through human labor and expense, such as corn, wheat, soybeans, or potatoes. Unlike naturally growing vegetation (like trees or wild berries), these crops are considered personal property (chattel) even while they are still growing in the ground. This distinction is important because it means these crops can be bought, sold, or used as collateral separately from the land itself, even before they are harvested. They are often referred to as "fructus industriales" (fruits of industry) because their existence depends on human effort and cultivation.

• Example 1: Sale of Future Harvest

  A large-scale potato farmer enters into a contract with a food processing company in April to sell their entire upcoming autumn potato harvest. Even though the potatoes are just sprouts in the field at the time of the agreement, they are legally treated as "chattel vegetables." This means the farmer is selling a specific quantity of personal property (the potatoes) that will be delivered later, rather than selling an interest in the land itself.

• Example 2: Tenant Farmer's Rights

  A tenant leases a plot of land for a year specifically to grow pumpkins for a seasonal market. The lease agreement explicitly states that all crops grown on the land during the lease term belong to the tenant. In this scenario, the pumpkins, while growing, are considered "chattel vegetables" belonging to the tenant. If the landowner were to sell the property mid-season, the new owner would not automatically gain ownership of the pumpkin crop; it remains the personal property of the tenant farmer.

• Example 3: Using Crops as Loan Collateral

  A small family farm needs a loan to purchase new equipment for their sweet potato operation. They secure the loan by offering their anticipated sweet potato harvest as collateral. The bank accepts this arrangement because the sweet potatoes, as "chattel vegetables," represent a valuable, movable asset that can be harvested and sold to repay the debt, even though they are still in the ground when the loan is issued.